Lucknow: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his help in starting the e-ticketing facility for entry into the Taj Mahal.

"Both national and international tourists have to stand in queues for long because of absence of e-ticketing facility. Union tourism minister (independent charge) had made an announcement for starting this facility in this financial year itself but no positive initiative has so far been taken", an official spokesman quoted Yadav as saying in the letter.

The chief minister stressed that just as there is a facility of e-ticket/e-boarding passes in airlines with barcodes, a similar facility should also be launched for entry into the Taj Mahal too.

Besides, he said that the number of queues for entering into the world heritage site in Agra, X-ray machines and modern equipments for carrying out searches should also be arranged to provide more facilities and boost tourism.

Yadav said that his government has always strove for providing infrastructure of the international standard to the national and international tourists coming to Agra and nearby places which could give a fillip to tourism.

He said that his government is carrying out an ambitious scheme worth Rs 167.92 crore for building infrastructure of international standard around the famous monument.